The importance of air quality for hospital patients

While many of us go to hospital to get better, we also know that this is a place where many sick and injured people are gathered in one space. Having high quality, well-filtered air is of paramount importance to maintaining the health of patients, staff, and visitors.

In close quarters like a hospital, it can be easy for bacteria and viruses to be transported through the air, but it’s also important to remember that more normal things can have a big impact on a hospital too. The smell of cooking food from the canteen, or of the incinerator dealing with medical waste, can also affect air quality and comfort levels of patients, so there are lots of different factors to consider when maintaining air quality for a hospital.

Hospitals are under intense scrutiny by the government (and consequently the media) to adhere to strict regulatory standards to ensure the safety and comfort of patients, visitors, and staff. Air quality is a huge factor when it comes to ensuring standards of hygiene, safety, and comfort are met, which is where our expertise comes into play.

Compliance with industry standards

Specialist ventilation systems in hospitals must comply with either the Health Technical Memorandum (HTM 03-01) or the Infection Control standard of HBN 00-09, or Building Engineering Services Association (BESA TR19) ensuring that particulate, bacteria and infection levels are kept beneath acceptable levels.

To safeguard and protect patients, staff and visitors – well-maintained and compliant ventilation systems carry out a number of functions that serve to benefit hospital environments:

Protecting patients, visitors, and staff– We not only need to prevent the spread of potential airborne disease and infections but also to maintain a clean, comfortable environment for health and working purposes.

Preserving air quality – Keeping air clean and safe is vital in a hospital. Ventilation systems within hospitals are planned with patient care in mind and will consider the different temperature requirements of numerous areas of the hospital, as well as the restricted or eliminating the movement of any dangerous airborne particles.

Protection of vulnerable patients – Patients affected by some diseases and ailments can have severely weakened immune systems, making them very vulnerable to even simple things like coughs and colds. Elderly and infant patients can also often be at risk from contaminations due to weaker immune systems. Therefore, having clean, uncontaminated air is paramount to their recovery and safety during their hospital stay.

Extraction/filtration of contaminated air – As well as bacterial infections such as MRSA or tuberculosis, and viral infections such as flu/norovirus, different variants of molds can be just as harmful if brought into contact with patients – particularly if the patients are undergoing immune-system effective therapies or treatments.

Importance of maintaining and cleaning ducts

Ductbusters are experts in cleaning and maintaining ductwork in hospital settings. We understand the importance of hygienic, well-maintained ductwork as a contributor to good air quality, which ultimately benefits health.

Working with an approved business to cleanse the duct system regularly is vital to preserve and safeguard patient wellbeing. The ducts should not only be cleaned – a strict process should be followed to ensure the contaminants that have built up within the ducts do not escape during the cleaning practice. This is exceedingly important where patients are present.

Safe temperature regulation

During the summer period, patients and staff will be more likely to have windows and doors open, which helps with the supply of fresh air in buildings. However, this can also increase the risk of cross contamination if air is not being filtered properly still, and many air conditioning systems are a breeding ground for bacteria and can circulate improperly filtered air into patient environments.

Though it’s essential to cleanse growth of bacteria and encourage fresh air circulation, it is equally fundamental that this process is executed in a way which protects from any risk and shields those present. Hence why only qualified individuals should undertake ventilation and duct maintenance in hospital settings